Lakeland Man Thankful for Polk Deputies' Life-Saving Actions

Instinct kicked in from their training, deputies say.

Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Cromartie, left, and Sgt. Tommy Dixon helped revive Jeff Andrews when they found him Aug. 18 in his pickup not breathing and without a pulse. (PROVIDED TO THE LEDGER)

Published: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 10:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 10:10 p.m.

LAKELAND | A 53-year-old Lakeland man is hospitalized following a car crash more than a week ago, but he said that if it weren't for two Polk County sheriff's deputies he probably would be dead.

Jeff Andrews of Lewis Road was found in his pickup not breathing and without a pulse, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"If they hadn't had the training they had, I'd probably be dead," Andrews said Tuesday from Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he was recovering. "They put the flappers on me and brought me back to life until the ambulance got there."

Just after 11 a.m. on Aug. 18, Polk County sheriff's Sgt. Tommy Dixon and Deputy Matthew Cromartie were dispatched to a car crash on Maple Hill Road in Lakeland.

Dixon said they saw three damaged cars and a pickup with a man slumped over the steering wheel. Their first thoughts were that it might be a drunken driver, he said, but they didn't smell alcohol and recognized the man needed help.

Cromartie opened the truck's door and checked for a pulse on Andrews. He said for a second he felt a very faint pulse on Andrews' neck, and then it was gone.

<p>LAKELAND | A 53-year-old Lakeland man is hospitalized following a car crash more than a week ago, but he said that if it weren't for two Polk County sheriff's deputies he probably would be dead. </p><p>Jeff Andrews of Lewis Road was found in his pickup not breathing and without a pulse, according to the Sheriff's Office. </p><p>"If they hadn't had the training they had, I'd probably be dead," Andrews said Tuesday from Lakeland Regional Medical Center where he was recovering. "They put the flappers on me and brought me back to life until the ambulance got there."</p><p>Just after 11 a.m. on Aug. 18, Polk County sheriff's Sgt. Tommy Dixon and Deputy Matthew Cromartie were dispatched to a car crash on Maple Hill Road in Lakeland.</p><p>Dixon said they saw three damaged cars and a pickup with a man slumped over the steering wheel. Their first thoughts were that it might be a drunken driver, he said, but they didn't smell alcohol and recognized the man needed help.</p><p>Cromartie opened the truck's door and checked for a pulse on Andrews. He said for a second he felt a very faint pulse on Andrews' neck, and then it was gone. </p><p>"The first thing that hit my mind was, 'I need to save this guy's life,'?" Cromartie said. </p><p>He pulled Andrews from the truck and immediately started CPR, continuing for almost two minutes as Dixon got his automated electronic defibrillator (AED) from his patrol car. </p><p>"Immediately I did my training," Cromartie said. "That's our first instinct."</p><p>Dixon said he ripped open the man's shirt, applied the defibrillator pads and waited for the AED instructions. </p><p>He said he's used an AED before, but had never shocked anyone. </p><p>"It said shock him, and I did," Dixon said. "His arms went up in the air — and his legs; it gave him a jolt."</p><p>After the shock, the AED told the deputies to administer CPR, and finally they registered a faint pulse. They continued CPR until Emergency Medical Services arrived to take over.</p><p>"It was a good feeling to know that this guy was dead when we got there and now he's alive," Dixon said. </p><p>"He just wasn't breathing, he was gone. And to see him yesterday with color back in him — it's an awesome feeling."</p><p>The Sheriff's Office said Andrews had a heart attack while driving and if it weren't for the deputies' quick response, Andrews most likely wouldn't have lived. </p><p>"Those dudes are the greatest — them and Grady Judd," Andrews said. "Thanks to them, I am alive."</p><p>Cromartie said it's just part of their job to respond fast and instinct just kicked in from their training. </p><p>That is their role as a first responder, Dixon said. </p><p>"The paramedics, they're called out, but you don't know when they're going to get there," he said. "So, if we can help save someone, that's great."</p><p>[ Stephanie Allen can be reached at 863-802-7550. ]</p>